Every Breath You Take, Page 4

  *

  They were on their way back to the station to file their report. Pepper had taken the elevator down-much easier on the way out, like going home after driving to someplace you'd never been before.

  "He sure was a big fucker," Wallace said, rubbing his shoulder where he'd been slammed into the wall.

  "No kidding. Are you sure you're okay? Do you think you should have the doc check you for a concussion?" Pepper felt sore as hell. The big lug had tossed him around like a dog's chewtoy.

  "I think I'm okay. Once we file our report, the Inspector'll make me go through the concussion protocol anyways." Pepper nodded as he made his way through traffic. Wallace continued, "Well, I think Coach Romanuk is going to have to find himself a new defensive end. I heard his knee pop when you got him. What do you think that was, the ACL, the MCL?"

  "Hopefully both."

  "Did the girl say anything before the EMS guys took her away?"

  "She said she'd met him at a party in a house near the university. It sounds like the same party that Ashley Devers said she and the Redmond girl went to. The one thing Jennie did say was that he'd kept her for the past two nights."

  "Jesus."

  Wallace's phone rang, the strains of the Human League song 'Fascination' resonating throughout the car. Pepper had never heard that one on Wallace's phone before-the guy changed his ringtone about as often as he changed his underwear. As Pepper kept driving, Wallace pulled out his phone and read the text message. "Jesus Christ," he muttered under his breath.

  "What?" Pepper asked, his eyes flicking over to his partner.

  "It's from the Inspector. They found a dead body behind The Roundhouse off Bathurst Street." Wallace paused and looked over at Pepper. "It's Yvonne Redmond."